Spelling You See vs MP Traditional Spelling

[lulalu]

DS is finishing up 1st grade this year. We used SYS a. Ds is not a strong speller. We spent most of this year working really hard on fine motor and handwriting. He gets most of the words correct during spelling.

But I am finding SYS doesn't give any help in knowing how to spell a word or rules. I am having to tell ds if it is a c or k all the time. And he needs to be reminded over and over what sounds the combinations th, ch, sh make. I think he really needs the added spelling rules along with. Does SYS include this better in level B and above? I like the thought of copywork and have loved the layout of the workbooks. But it is expensive, so I want to be sure it adds more instruction in the following levels. 

I have also looked at MP's Traditional Spelling. Which seems like it gives spelling rules, color coding to help, and includes dication. Is this going to be a better fit for what I want? My only issue is that there are only two levels. And the workbook layout is more crowded which will bother ds some as he still writes very large. 

[ktgrok]

I've used both  (well, SYS for only a few days as it obviously wasn't a good fit). But what I think you actually want is All About Spelling. It teaches those exact things, in a clear way, with review. 

[lulalu]

1 hour ago, Ktgrok said:

I've used both  (well, SYS for only a few days as it obviously wasn't a good fit). But what I think you actually want is All About Spelling. It teaches those exact things, in a clear way, with review. 

I have looked at All About Spelling a lot. It is just expensive and comes with a lot of moving parts. I haven't seen it in person either. So I have a hard time knowing if I and ds would like it.

But OG methods do appeal to me. I think ds would like the rules based instruction. I just need lots more structure than some OG programs supply, as I am not just staying home and homeschooling. Sometimes school needs to fit in a bag and get done while I am working. Which I don't think AAS would easily travel? 

[ktgrok]

49 minutes ago, lulalu said:

I have looked at All About Spelling a lot. It is just expensive and comes with a lot of moving parts. I haven't seen it in person either. So I have a hard time knowing if I and ds would like it.

But OG methods do appeal to me. I think ds would like the rules based instruction. I just need lots more structure than some OG programs supply, as I am not just staying home and homeschooling. Sometimes school needs to fit in a bag and get done while I am working. Which I don't think AAS would easily travel? 

Actually, if you have a tablet you can use their app, which has all the tiles. That way you don't need the big white board/magnets/etc. We use the app now, because my toddler likes to mess with the magnetic tiles. We also don't bother with the word cards, as the words are in the book. (actually, not even sure there ARE word cards, come to think of it). There are flashcards for the phonograms but your son probably knows most of them already, and then a few "key concepts" cards but you don't have to review those every day if you are out and about. And they are in the teacher manual anyway. We drag out the cards some days, but not every day. Mostly we just use the manual and the app. 

A lesson looks like:

maybe new teaching about a phonics rule 

spelling a list of words with the tile app (or white board)

writing those same words on paper (we are skipping that step right now as many words are review for her, but if she struggled we'd do it)

a list of extra words for extra practice if the student needs it

writing some phrases on paper (that you dictate). There are about 6-10 phrases and it says to "use several" so we use some or all of them. They are 2-3 word phrases using the words they have already learned. 

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Ktgrok

[Ellie]

4 hours ago, lulalu said:

DS is finishing up 1st grade this year. We used SYS a. Ds is not a strong speller. We spent most of this year working really hard on fine motor and handwriting. He gets most of the words correct during spelling.

But I am finding SYS doesn't give any help in knowing how to spell a word or rules. I am having to tell ds if it is a c or k all the time. And he needs to be reminded over and over what sounds the combinations th, ch, sh make. I think he really needs the added spelling rules along with. Does SYS include this better in level B and above? I like the thought of copywork and have loved the layout of the workbooks. But it is expensive, so I want to be sure it adds more instruction in the following levels. 

I have also looked at MP's Traditional Spelling. Which seems like it gives spelling rules, color coding to help, and includes dication. Is this going to be a better fit for what I want? My only issue is that there are only two levels. And the workbook layout is more crowded which will bother ds some as he still writes very large. 

There's always Spalding. One manual (Writing Road to Reading) and one set of phonogram cards will be your only purchases (other than a sewn composition book for the child each year). Simultaneously teaches penmanship, capitalization and punctuation, and simple writing.

[lulalu]

On 3/26/2019 at 11:17 PM, Ellie said:

There's always Spalding. One manual (Writing Road to Reading) and one set of phonogram cards will be your only purchases (other than a sewn composition book for the child each year). Simultaneously teaches penmanship, capitalization and punctuation, and simple writing.

I know WRtR is going to be too much work for me during this season. DH and I will be tag team teaching this next year as I will be in language school. 

[Ellie]

5 hours ago, lulalu said:

I know WRtR is going to be too much work for me during this season. DH and I will be tag team teaching this next year as I will be in language school. 

It is teacher intensive. 🙂

[Ellie]

See, you might just be better off going with Spelling by Sound and Structure, Rod and Staff's spelling series. For a traditional spelling series, it's quite good, and the children do it independently.

[Syllieann]

Do traditional spelling.  They will probably have the next level by the time you get there.  If not, you can switch to rod and staff at that point.

[lulalu]

5 hours ago, Ellie said:

See, you might just be better off going with Spelling by Sound and Structure, Rod and Staff's spelling series. For a traditional spelling series, it's quite good, and the children do it independently.

I have looked close at this one too. Seems close to Memoria Press'. I think it is a little cheaper too. Maybe that is what I should do then. 

[Gil]

On 3/26/2019 at 8:03 PM, lulalu said:

DS is finishing up 1st grade this year. We used SYS a. Ds is not a strong speller. We spent most of this year working really hard on fine motor and handwriting. He gets most of the words correct during spelling.

But I am finding SYS doesn't give any help in knowing how to spell a word or rules. I am having to tell ds if it is a c or k all the time. And he needs to be reminded over and over what sounds the combinations th, ch, sh make. I think he really needs the added spelling rules along with. Does SYS include this better in level B and above? I like the thought of copywork and have loved the layout of the workbooks. But it is expensive, so I want to be sure it adds more instruction in the following levels. 

I have also looked at MP's Traditional Spelling. Which seems like it gives spelling rules, color coding to help, and includes dication. Is this going to be a better fit for what I want? My only issue is that there are only two levels. And the workbook layout is more crowded which will bother ds some as he still writes very large. 

Based on the remark about his handwriting/fine motor and the forgetting what sounds letters or digraphs make I think it's possible that you may have started spelling prematurely.

I suggest that you pause all spelling instruction until the little dude is able to write by hand correctly and at a reasonable pace (maybe copying words at 10 wpm) without getting worn out. In addition to his physical writing ability, I would wait until the child is fluently reading on a 2nd grade level and able to break down multisyllable words in print.

In my experience, spelling is made artificially more difficult until you are able to read and write without straining to do either.